On Oct. 4, 1980, a song built around a bass line that sounded more like a dance club than an arena rock show reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100. It stayed there for three weeks.

The band hadn’t planned on it being a single. The push came from an unexpected fan: Michael Jackson.

The song was Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust,” and it became the band’s second and final No. 1 hit in the United States. Decades later, fans still put its bass line above every other.

An Album Track Nobody Expected

The song appeared on The Game, Queen’s eighth studio album, which came out June 30, 1980. The band recorded it at Musicland Studios in Munich with producer Reinhold Mack, and it became Queen’s only album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Bassist John Deacon wrote “Another One Bites the Dust,” and his bass line carries it from the first second to the last. The groove owes a debt to Chic’s “Good Times.” Chic’s Bernard Edwards later said the connection came about because Queen’s bass player had spent time hanging out with Chic at their studio.

The Backstage Tip

After seeing Queen play in Los Angeles, Jackson told Freddie Mercury backstage that the band should put the song out as a single. Queen took the advice. The single was released in the U.S. on Aug. 22, 1980, and about six weeks later it was No. 1.

It was Queen’s second U.S. chart-topper that year, after “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” and it turned out to be their last.

A Rock Hit That Crossed Over

Few rock records of the era traveled as far. Besides topping the Hot 100, “Another One Bites the Dust” reached No. 2 on Billboard’s soul singles chart and No. 2 on its disco chart.

It became Queen’s best-selling single, with more than 7 million copies sold, and the RIAA has certified it 9x Platinum. It also earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, but lost to Bob Seger’s “Against the Wind.”

Still No. 1 With Fans

The bass line has only grown in stature. In a Sky Arts poll of 2,000 music fans published in November 2025, “Another One Bites the Dust” was voted the greatest bass line of all time. Second place went to Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” Deacon was also voted the greatest bass player of all time.

Queen has long been one of my favorite bands, and this is the song that proves bass players can steal the show.

This story was originally published by Men’s Journal on Oct 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men’s Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.